Harder, Better, Faster, and Stronger All At Once

Want to put on lean body mass, get stronger, and improve your endurance all at once?

Traditional training wisdom says that you can't -- that to achieve each adaptation, you must concentrate on them one at a time. Such is the premise of the linear periodization model, which calls for spending a few weeks training for each adaptation individually (muscular endurance, hypertrophy, and strength).

Photo courtesy: http://complementarytraining.blogspot.com/2010/12/periodization-confusion.html

For example, weeks 1-4 would be spent training for muscular endurance, with weights chosen such that 12 or more reps can be completed. Weeks 5-8 would be for hypertrophy (increase in lean body mass), picking weights corresponding to at least 6 reps but no more than 12. Finally, weeks 9-12 would be dedicated to strength, going so heavy that at most 6 reps are possible.

The following chart details the protocols for each phase of training:

Training Adaptation	Load	Sets	Reps	Rest
Muscular endurance	Light	2-3	≥12	<30 seconds
Hypertrophy*	Moderate	3-6	6-12	30-90 seconds
Strength	Heavy	2-6	≤6	2-5 minutes

Sure, linear periodization works to improve size, strength, and stamina. But at the turn of the century, researchers found they could do better. Enter daily undulating periodization (DUP): the revolutionary approach to training that calls for training all the adaptations in a single training week.

To delve into the specifics of DUP, let's take a look back at the training week we planned out in Plug-and-Play Program Design:

	Day 1		Day 2		Day 3		Day 4
Hip	Deadlift	Pull	Pull-up	Hip	Uni stiff-leg deadlift	Pull	Face pull
Push	Push-up	Pull	Sweep	Pull	Dumbbell row	Push	Dip
Pull	Recline row	Hip	Swing	Push	Vertical throw	Hip	Supine jackknife
Core	Pallof press	Core	Landmine	Core	Flutter kick	Core	Planks
Knee	Lunge	Core	Ab wheel	Knee	Goblet squat	Hip	Side-lying abd.
Push	OH press	Push	Skull crusher	Push	Bench press	Knee	Box jump
Pull	Farmer's carry	Pull	Curl	Core	Prone jackknife	Pull	Slams
Core	Bird dog	Knee	Jump rope	Pull	Y/T/W/L	Core	Rotational throw

To apply undulating periodization to this model, we repeatedly cycle through a single day of each training adaptation, as detailed in the following chart:

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3
Day 1 – Strength	Day 1 – Hypertrophy	Day 1 – Muscular endurance
Day 2 – Hypertrophy	Day 2 – Muscular endurance	Day 2 – Strength
Day 3 – Muscular endurance	Day 3 – Strength	Day 3 – Hypertrophy
Day 4 – Strength	Day 4 – Hypertrophy	Day 4 – Muscular endurance

Thanks to the fact that we have four different workouts and three different adaptations, we wind up with a total of 12 unique workout-adaptation combinations. How's that for variety?

One important thing to note is that accessory lifts (single-joint movements, core exercises, and anything targeting smaller muscles) should always be high rep, regardless of the desired adaptation of the day. That is, even on a strength day, exercises like curls, side-lying abduction, and prone jackknife should be performed in sets of at least 10 or 12.

Forget the old linear periodization model, and follow this DUP program religiously for six weeks (two three-week cycles). In that time, you will get leaner, stronger, and better conditioned than any previous six-week stretch of your life.

Photo courtesy: http://elrashidy-swimming.tripod.com/id20.html